Recent eats

As the weather (slowly) starts getting warmer, I crave fresh foods that are either room temperature or cold. I’ve had several satisfying meals over the past couple weeks: easy chicken lunch, heavenly guac, classic macaroni salad, and sesame biscotti.

Simple pan-seared chicken breast will always be a filling lunch, and for an easy crunchy side salad I chop cucumbers with red onion and herbs. If I have tomatoes to use up I’ll add them in too.

To add some flavor to the chicken I season with whatever I have on hand: it’s usually a mix of granulated garlic, dried herbs, paprika, salt and pepper. The side salad gets vinegar or lemon juice to add something tangy alongside the chicken.

I’ve recently become addicted to guacamole all because of a “secret ingredient” I’ve discovered. I start with any amount of avocado I have or want – a half, a whole, two, etc. I mash it in a bowl with eyeballed amounts of the following, depending on how much avocado I’m using: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, finely diced red onion, granulated garlic, and white distilled vinegar.

I’ve found avocado tastes the best when you adhere to the “salt, fat, acid, heat” rule of food – that to make food really shine all you have to do is add a source of those four tastes.

Now here’s my secret ingredient: a healthy glug of olive oil. I never thought it would make sense in guacamole, because avocado is a fat. Why would you add more to it, right?

I tried it once, and I’ve never looked back – just a little bit makes the entire mash much more creamy and emulsified. I can’t even explain it, you just have to trust me and try it.

Sesame biscotti are an Italian bakery staple, and I never realized how easy they were to make at home. A simple dough gets cut into pieces and then rolled in plenty of sesame seeds for a simple but satisfying snack or dessert. There’s something to be said about an ever-so-slightly sweet cookie mixed with the hearty and deeply savory flavor that is sesame.

I’ve been making these on repeat – they’re good for dessert but even better for breakfast.

Classic deli-style macaroni salad is way better at made at home. When I order it out it’s always disappointing: heavily overcooked noodles that come swimming in a watery sauce with too much mayo flavor. Ugh.

Made at home, the noodles will be al dente and you can control how much sauce, or in this case I’d call it dressing, you want. And if you follow a good technique of not rinsing your pasta to keep extra starch for the dressing to really stick on to, you’re in business.

I’ve also got a little secret for this too: don’t use a dressing of 100% mayo. Cut it with some plain greek yogurt – it’s still creamy like mayo but not greasy. All mayo tends to leave that weird taste in your mouth like you just ate an entire jar of mayo, but cutting it with some greek yogurt makes it way less assertive.

Any crunchy veggies will do; I like diced celery, carrot, and bell pepper. The dressing should have plenty of vinegar, a little mustard, and, in my opinion, a pinch of sugar. It’s the perfect side to any summer lunch or dinner, alongside a barbecue or crunchy sandwich. Is it July yet?